Gundog training

If you’re looking for expert advice on gundog training then this is an excellent place to start.

Our gundog experts will help you to train your gundog to the best of its ability – and yours – with this series of helpful tips, advice and instructional articles.

Gundog questions and answers

Look out for the gundog training answers, where your questions have been reviewed by training professionals. We also welcome requests for help from readers who are experiencing difficulties – just write to shootinguk@timeinc.com and we will take a look.

Gundog training has a vocabulary all of its own and unless you are very experienced there may be some terms you are unfamiliar with. So it might be a good idea to check our gundog terminology guide here and learn some of the terms by heart.

A well-trained gundog is a wonderful thing

In addition, different gundog breeds will respond differently and if you’re looking to buy a working dog to train for the field have a look through our guide to breeds.

Finally, we have plenty of articles offering advice on gundog puppies – and if you start off on the right foot then you’re more likely to end up with a dog to be proud of out in the field.

Earlier this year, the resignation of the honorary secretary of the Utility Gundog Society (UGS) Kent and East Sussex, Bernadette Restorick, not only caused ructions in the society, but also generated headline stories in The Times, the Daily Telegraph and Our Dogs. What Mrs Restorick had done was raise the…

Q: My gundog eats game instead of returning and leaving it. Twice last season my Labrador ate a brace of partridges laid to cool in the back of the pickup. The dog, a six-year-old, had never done this before. Would it help if I gave him a good feed after…

If you are going to work your dog on a shoot, there is one thing of which you can be certain: sooner or later you will encounter livestock. As a responsible gundog owner, the last thing you want is for your dog to show an unhealthy interest in farm animals.…

Q: I have a 20-month-old Labrador dog who lives in the house with two Labrador bitches aged five and eight. He is being trained as a gundog and works fine with dogs that he knows. He was introduced to unfamiliar puppies from an early age and attended puppy classes. When…

Defra is under heavy pressure from a number of organisations, including most notably the Kennel Club (KC), to ban electric shock collars, and has launched an online consultation to gauge public opinion. The KC’s arguments are clearly explained: “The Kennel Club believes that electric shock collars have no place in…

We all know that puppies aren’t easy, but if you want a working spaniel, taking on a puppy is probably your best option, as it is rare to find a trained spaniel for sale. But there is an alternative: adopt a rescue dog. A quick check on the internet will…

Training a puppy should start from the very first day it begins life with its new owner. Whereas formal gundog training puppies can start at around seven months – depending on the youngster of course. The early days are crucial You need to establish a partnership and rapport early on…

According to the National Sheep Association, there are more than 33million sheep in the UK, which means that every working gundog is certain to encounter a flock sooner rather than later. From a dog’s point of view, there are few animals that are more inviting to chase. Thoughts of sheep…

Q: I have been involved in shooting all my life, but have only begun shooting in a syndicate since retiring and have no experience of having a dog sitting at the peg. I have always fancied having a pointer primarily as a house dog, but also to take out a…

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